Hyde Park Fair

Bruno said that in the early days they used a very small portion of the grounds of Hyde Park (which is 15.5 hectares).  As the event got bigger and better they spread out to use up more and more of the park lands and this year they will be using the full 15.5 hectares for the event.

 

They started with not much more than a sideshow alley for the children, a chocolate wheel and sausage sizzle but as the years have gone by they have added lots more activities and displays to the event.  Initially the club members did all the work; and then as it got bigger they paid one member to oversee the work done by the committee.   As it grew even more they then paid an Events Coordinator to take on that role of coordination and seeking out sponsorship for the free event held annually in te City of Vincent.  They rely on sponsorship and donations of all kinds to keep it going.  North Perth Rotary Club see it as a community event for families to come out and enjoy themselves. 

 

They raise their funds by selling the sites to the exhibitors.  There are over 200 sites of all different sizes to accommodate the needs of those wanting to come and ply their wares at the Fair.  They also provided non-stop entertainment which changes every half hour or so.  It is open to the public on Saturday 6th March 10.00 am til 9.00 pm and then again on the Sunday from 10.00 am til 5.00 pm.  The Rotary Club runs some of the stalls - namely the Rotary Cafe, several sausage sizzle stalls and this year for the first time they will also run a pop up bar.  The club relies heavily on volunteers to assist them to organise and keep the function running throughout the weekend.

 

Usually the crowd is huge - but that depends largely on the weather.  So they don't want it too hot, nor too cold, nor rainy.  Last year they had between 40,000 and 50,000 people come over the 2 days.    The profits from the event go towards supporting the club's choice of charities and this has included "wheelchairs for kids"; "Shelterbox"; "Rotary Foundation"; and "Life Education".

 

Once the Fair is over they usually take about a month off before starting all over again to plan for next year's event.  They believe it is the biggest 2 day event in the state.

 

Thanks Bruno your talk was very informative and we have learned lots to help us make sure our own Bricktober event continues to grow.